<p class="rteleft">As a part of our &lsquo;looking forward to 2012&rsquo; series, Prachatai interviewed CJ Hinke, freedom activist and founder of FACT &ndash; Freedom against Censorship Thailand - on the situation of freedom in Thailand, internet freedom in particular. </p>

<p><em>&ldquo;Prachatai exists to promote human rights&rdquo;</em></p> <p>The judge presiding over the trial of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of Thailand&rsquo;s independent online news portal, Prachatai, arrived late to court today [21 Sept]. This gave regular observers, local and international activists, NGOs, media representatives and diplomatic staff great pause for concern.</p>

<p><em>(Note: Chiranuch&rsquo;s trial will NOT be heard on Wednesday, September 7 as expected. Trial will resume on Friday, September 9 for the last prosecution witness. It is likely the presiding judge will continue with hearings on mornings only, starting at 9:30am.)</em></p>

<p>A Bangkok-based computer programmer is the latest individual to be charged with both lese-majeste and the Computer Crimes Act.</p>

<p>It is incumbent that the US government support US citizen Joe W. Gordon who has recently been arrested on multiple charges in Thailand, the country of his birth.</p>

<p>Google&rsquo;s recent opposition to Internet censorship in China went wildly underreported in Thailand. Yet this move to seize the moral high ground has vast implications to Thailand and every other censorship nation. The world&rsquo;s censors have been put on notice by a company worth five billion dollars, more than many governments.</p>